1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stand-alone or network-connected printing system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a printing system that can identify the printing cost in advance.
2. Description of the Related Art
The art of interest to the present invention for counting the number of copies to calculate the copying expense is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-52626 and Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 56-27162. The technique of detecting termination of a copy operation to calculate and display the copy rate from the xe2x80x9cnumber of copiesxc3x97unit costxe2x80x9d is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 4-11547.
There are times when the expense of a desired copy job is to be identified before actually carrying out a copy operation. The copy rate is calculated as xe2x80x9cnumber of copiesxc3x97unit costxe2x80x9d. This xe2x80x9cunit costxe2x80x9d depends on various conditions such as the size of the recording sheet and full color/two-color/black-and-white mode. The size of a recording sheet is determined according No the size of the original document and the magnification rate. Since the calculation of the total fee of copies taken in various modes from various documents is complicated, it is difficult to confirm in advance whether the copy fee is within an intended amount of cost or not. It is desired to easily identify in advance the cost of a specific copy job.
It is also desirable to be able to alter the mode (for example, alter the copy mode from full color mode to black-and-white mode, or alter the magnification rate to reduce the size of the recording sheet) when identification is made that the intended account is exceeded after setting a copy job. Accordingly, an intended amount of cost can be satisfied.
In accordance with the spread of personal computer communication and image softwares, the user of a personal computer can provide a display of various types of images easily on the screen of his/her own display device at home. It is easy to print out such images on a recording sheet by virtue of improvement in the printer""s performance and reduction in cost.
However, a printer of high performance that provides a printout on a large-sized sheet with the picture quality of a color image approximating that of a silver halide photograph is yet too expensive for a general user to own.
A printing system is proposed that allows-printout of a high quality even for users that do not posses their own exclusive color printer of high performance. In this printing system, the personal computer of a user is connected to a color printer of high performance via a communication line. Each user shares the usage of the connected color printer.
FIG. 43 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional printing system 800.
Referring to FIG. 43, a printing system 800 includes personal computers 802a-802c of respective users, a color printer 804 of high performance, a printer controller 805 for providing control of color printer 804, a display 803 associated with printer controller 805, and a communication line 806. Each of personal computers 802a-802c is installed at the home of respective users. Color printer 804 and printer controller 805 are installed at an appropriate site, such as in a convenience store.
When a user wants to obtain a printout, the user enters an image file DFa into a personal computer 802a, for example, and also a print reservation instruction and user name at the same time.
In response, personal computer 802a assigns an image file number 903a for the input image file DFa, and transmits the same together with the user name as a header file 902a to printer controller 805 and color printer 804. Therefore, header files 902a-902c transmitted from various users are accumulated in printer controller 805 and color printer 804. At this time point, image file DFa is not yet transmitted.
The user then goes to the convenience store where printer controller 805 and color printer 804 are installed to instruct execution of a printout operation. On the screen of display 803 of printer controller 805, a plurality of image file numbers 903a-903c and associated user names sent from respective users are provided.
The user searches for his/her own user name and image file number 903a to enter a print execution instruction with respect to the appropriate image file number 903a. In response, image file DFa is transmitted from personal computer 802a to color printer 804 to be stored in a memory 807 of printer 804. The user sets the appropriate printing conditions such as the sheet size, resolution of picture quality, the number of copies, and the like for color printer 804. The cost required for the printing operation is determined, and then a printing operation is executed.
In the above-described conventional printing system 800, the user had to take the trouble of going to the installed site of color printer 804 and then set the printout conditions for color printer 804. The user can identify the expense corresponding to a printout execution only after setting various printing out conditions for color printer 804.
In other words, some time is required before the user obtains a printout of a desired image after going to the installation site of color printer 804. Furthermore, the user cannot identify the expense information required for printout before coming to the installed site of color printer 804.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing system that can identify the expense of a desired printout job prior to a printing out operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing system that allows the printing mode to be altered so as to satisfy an intended amount of cost when the expense for a printing out job exceeds the intended amount.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a printing system that can execute a printing out job after confirming that an intended amount of cost is satisfied when the cost for a printing out job is predetermined.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a printing system connected to a network including a printer apparatus that is network-connected to a user side data processor that allows the user to obtain, at the user side data processor, information of expense required for a print out before the user goes to the installed site of the printer apparatus.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a printing method that allows expense of a desired printing out job to be identified prior to the printing out job.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a printing method that allows a printing out job to be carried out after confirmation of an intended amount of cost being satisfied when the cost for a printing out job is predetermined.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a printing method of a printing system connected to a network including a printer apparatus network-connected to a user""s terminal that allows the user to obtain, at the user""s terminal, information of expense required for a print out before the user goes to the installed site of the printer apparatus.
The above objects of the present invention can be accomplished by a printing system including elements set forth in the following.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a printing system includes an input unit for entering a print job, a calculation unit for calculating a printing cost according to an input printing job, a display for providing a display of the calculated printing cost, and a controller allowing modification of the displayed printing job, and permitting a printing operation after confirming that there is no modification in the displayed printing job.
According to the present invention, the printing cost is calculated and displayed according to an input printing job. Since modification of the displayed printing job is allowed and a printing operation is permitted after confirming that there is no modification, the expense of the desired copy job can be identified prior to execution of the printing operation. The mode can be altered so as to satisfy a predetermined amount of cost. A copy operation can be initiated after confirming that a predetermined amount is satisfied.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a printing system includes a user side data processor for sending a data file that the user wishes to print out, a center side data processor connected to the user side data processor through a communication line, and having a memory for storing the data file sent from the user side data processor, and a printer connected to the center side data processor for printing out the data file sent from the center side data processor.
The printer includes a first printing cost information transmitter for transmitting printing cost information which is the information of expense corresponding to execution of printing out the data file to the center side data processor prior to execution of printing out the data file.
The center side data processor includes a second printing cost information transmitter for transmitting the printing cost information from the printer to the user side data processor.
The user side data processor, the center side data processor, and the printer are connected via a communication line. The printer sends the information of expense required for printout execution to the user side data processor prior to execution of the printing operation. As a result, the user can obtain, at the user side data processor prior to going to the installed site of the printer apparatus, information of expense required for printing by the printer apparatus that is network-connected to the user side data processor.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a printing system includes a user side data processor for transmitting a data file of which the user wishes to print out, a center side data processor connected to the user side data processor through a communication line, and having a memory for storing the data file transmitted from the user side data processor, and a printer connected to the center side processor for printing out the data file sent from the center side data processor.
The center side data processor includes a printing cost calculation unit for calculating printing cost information which is the information of expense corresponding to a printout execution of a data file prior to print out thereof, and a printing cost information transmitter for transmitting the printing cost information to the user side data processor.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.